Gulfstream’s G650 business jet will receive the 2014 Robert J. Collier Trophy this spring, the National Aeronautic Association announced Thursday. The long-range, high-speed G650, FAA-certified in 2012, has “strengthened business aviation through significant technological advancements in aircraft performance, cabin comfort, and safety,” the Collier Selection Committee said. The panel includes 30 individuals from the aviation and aerospace industries and this week heard presentations from seven nominees before announcing the decision at the NAA’s annual Spring Awards Dinner.
The Collier Trophy program recognizes innovations in the preceding year that improve performance and safety in air or space vehicles. The other nominees included: Alan Eustace and the StratEx Team; the Embraer Legacy 500; the F-16 Automatic Ground Collision Avoidance Team;theGeneral Aviation Joint Steering Committee; Orion Exploration Flight Test-1; and Aurora Flight Sciences Orion UAS Team. “It was a very strong list of nominations which reflect the advancement of the world’s aviation industry,” said Jim Albaugh, NAA chairman. “It was a difficult list from which to select a recipient, and I congratulate Gulfstream on this great honor.”
